Recover
by islandgirl33
Summary: For anyone left devastated by 5/8 this is for you! A/U at the hospital scene. Now four years later, the outbreak is over, Beth and Daryl are FINALLY together and struggling to make sense of the new world as a married couple. Will contain flashbacks to present day, telling their story!
1. Chapter 1

****_I can't believe there are so many amazing Beth & Daryl stories floating around at the moment, I wish I had the time read more of them. But it shows how much loved this pairing is, despite...SPOILER ALERT! _****

****_The horrible death scene!_****

****_This is just my contribution to the aftermath of that! I couldn't face writing anything too sad at the moment, so this is an alternative story for Beth, with a twist as it is set a few years on when the outbreak is over, she lives and is married to Daryl._ Each chapter will be split in to two with a flashback leading up to present day, telling the story of how they got where there are.****

**This is a story I have had buzzing around in my head for a while and I planned to write it one day. But I recently got the urge whilst trying to mend by broken bethyl heart, to just do it! If anyone else is as heartbroken as me than this is for you. I can also assure you, that Beth will NEVER die in any of my stories. I will also be updating Fight out Desires very soon with lots of Beth and Daryl. The only good thing to come out of this is, it's reminded me why I love the world of FF. It was something similar happening (but not so devastating) to one of my favourite all time characters on another show, that got me interested in writing FF in the first place.**

**Please leave me some feedback, on this story or on the show. I would love to hear what other people think :) X**

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><p><em>B<em>_eth couldn't believe what she was hearing, this couldn't be happening. She had been so close….. But now she had no choice, she knew what she needed to do. Blood rushing around her body, adrenaline flooding her veins, she lunged herself forward with passion. Her hands shaking violently, she opened her mouth, "Wait" she exclaimed loudly._

_Before she could move another step, she felt strong fingers tightly gripping her wrist. "No, stay back," Rick hissed in a fierce whisper._

_Beth was determined, she tried to wriggle free form the sheriffs grip but he was too strong for her. "No, wait," she exclaimed again, this time a little louder and bolder as all eyes suddenly turned in her direction. _

"_Let him go," Rick said to Beth, his piercing blue eyes staring at her intently, his voice firm but calm. _

"_No," Beth shrieked again, she told herself she didn't cry anymore, but perhaps she had just been saving her tears for something actually worth crying for. Suddenly feeling her eyes filling with warm soft tears, this couldn't be happening, she wouldn't let it, she wouldn't let that bitch win. Rick couldn't stop her, no-one could. Using all her strength this time, with fierce determination, Beth eventually twisted her wrist away from her former leaders grasp. Moving quickly, before he or anyone else had the chance to do anything to stop her, she found herself leaping away from her old group of survivors and in to Noah's arms, the arms of the kindest sweetest boy she had ever met. Without thinking, she wrapped her own arms tightly around his neck, burying her whole face in his chest, causing a warm damp patch to spread across his shirt with her tears. He was so young, so innocent, just like she had been not so long ago, she couldn't leave him, she couldn't let him go back. _

_Eventually, after what seemed like an eternity the urge to comfort him subsided and her body relaxed slightly. He gently pushed her away, his big brown eyes staring straight back with emotion in to her bright blue ones. _

"_I'll be okay," he whispered in her ear as they broke apart._

_Beth just continued to look back at her friend. Without him she would never have found the courage to carry on, she owed him everything. She bit her lip, the tears still flowing as all she could do was nod, before finally whispering back, "We'll come back for ya."_

"_You won't need to," he replied with the faintest of smiles._

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><p><span>Four years later<span>

Daryl gripped the steering wheel tightly as he pushed his foot down a little harder on the accelerator. Dusk was creeping in as he sped down the nearly deserted highway, the sky bursting with a beautiful orange and pink glow, his favourite time of day. He reached for the radio dial, turning it up slightly, it wasn't a song he recognised, some old 80's cover, but still it was music, he was grateful for that. It was nice to fill the silence as he drove on alone, thinking he would never quite get tired of hearing music again, as the speedometer crept up. The quicker he could get home the better, thoughts of what he wanted to do to his hot young wife filling his head as he sped on, blood rushing around his body in arousal with the anticipation.

Slowing down slightly, he passed a big neon sign stating the current speed limit. It might be a few years now since the world had slowly started to come back together, but Daryl still couldn't quite get used to things like obeying speed limits again. He glanced in to his rear view mirror, he looked like shit he knew that. The scars on his face more exaggerated than ever with his fatigue, along with the dark circles under both his eyes, his long dark hair in desperate need of a cut. But then again working the hours he did would do that to a man he thought, relaxing back in to his seat a little. He knew he could take a long hot shower as soon as he got home. A luxury he didn't think he would ever stop being thankful for. For a long time Daryl had had to go for weeks without even so much as taking a quick bath, surviving another day taking priority over everything else. That all felt like another life now though, when Daryl thought back to the nightmares they'd all had to live through during the dark times of the outbreak, somehow it just felt like a dream.

….

Beth suddenly jumped as she heard a key in the front door. Flinging the book she had been reading down on to the side, leaping off the sofa. Her long glossy blonde hair falling in loose waves over the straps of the little white dress covering her pale shoulders, she ran to the front door to meet her husband.

Putting his bag down and walking towards her, Beth leapt in to Daryl's strong arms, wrapping her legs around his waist, flinging her arms around his neck passionately, kissing him deeply, urgently, drinking in his manly aroma, her hands gripping the back of his shaggy dark hair. Daryl eager to respond, his lips immediately locking with hers, holding her tightly to him. Completely unable to hide their mutual longings for each other.

They had been married for little over two years now, but it still filled Beth with a huge rush of butterflies every time Daryl got home. After everything they had been through together, now that the outbreak was over, they had fallen more in love than ever.

Eventually they broke apart, "You're early, I'm not ready for ya yet, I'll need to put some food on for you," Beth said with a sparkle in her eye, breaking in to a wide smile, looking back at her handsome rugged husband.

"Relax, that can wait," Daryl said, pulling her towards him again. Speaking with a confidence, once so alien to him.

Drawing her closer, he kissed her again, slowly this time, breathing in her scent, stroking the back of her head, he'd only been apart from her a short time but he'd missed her, he'd never get tired of coming home to her.

…...

Daryl gazed at Beth's face staring back at him, her big wide eyes reflecting the soft beams of moonlight falling through their bedroom window. Her beautiful features illuminated as she studied his face in return. Brushing her face with his fingers, he moved slowly, intensely, savouring every moment, every thrust, feeling his heart raging in his chest, his breath quickening as he moved even closer to her. Her perfect breasts pressed against his muscular torso, he sensed her heart beating quickly too in rhythm with his. Proof that she was real.

She pressed her cool lips in to his damp neck, it was a cliché to say the sex kept getting better and better, but it did. The first few times they had slept together had been wonderful, but it had been so new, so unexpected, startling even. Then once they had gotten used to each others bodies they had found a new sense of pace, fast, full on and urgent. Back then, despite the danger, they had been on fire for each other. Now, it was just as intense, but in a different way, slower, more intimate, more passionate and loving. They knew each other so well, how to provide the ultimate pleasure, whilst retaining their remarkable closeness, their bond.

Tangling his fingers in her soft blonde hair, planting gentle kisses across her smooth sensitive skin, forcing her to let out a small moan, he moved to find her lips, their bodies moving together. She kissed him back hot and hard. His muscles straining as he lifted her hips up, gliding in to her further, increasing the contact between them.

Breaking away from the kiss, his face flushed with lust and pure animal arousal, taking in their intimacy, their connection, it was still there more alive than ever. He sucked in a breath as his powerful body strained with the need for her. He cursed as his teeth grinded and she let out a breathless cry, both barely able to stand the feelings pulsing through them. Their eyes locking as the pleasure spread and he held her gaze as Beth let out a sound Daryl knew only too well, halfway between a sigh and a scream. Losing all focus his control swayed and he simultaneously let out a small growl, his features softening for an instant with a subtle vulnerability.

...

Contently and affectionately Daryl wrapped her in his arms, crushing her in to him as he pressed his face damp with mists of sweat in to the curve of her neck. He knew he could never find another woman alive that could make him feel like he did now as he lay back and held her close.

Life was different now, calm, peaceful, routine. In a strange way at times Daryl found himself almost missing the old life, living on the edge, the perverse excitement of it all, the sense of freedom it leant, there had been no rules or restraints, they were purely living in the moment, in their own little bubble, he felt valued, needed in a way he had never done before. But Daryl was also aware, although the world they lived in these days was still far from being how it had been before the outbreak; there was a sense of order, they were no longer hungry, sick and exhausted, they could enjoy the simple pleasures; lying in bed watching a movie, reading a book, going out for beers and simply having the chance to just 'be'; but most importantly of all they could plan now, plan for their future. A future at one point it looked unlikely they'd ever have. Altogether, the sun was shining brighter now, there was hope again, it was safe, safer than it had been for a long time. For that thought alone Daryl had never been so happy.

They stayed like that for a long time, both dazed and high. Before Beth whispered the three little words that had been so painfully absent all Daryl's life, "I love you."

Running his strong masculine fingertips gently over the scar across her left cheek, his eyes warm and tender, he whispered back, "I love you too."

**a/n - Thanks for reading. The story will change tempo soon and will follow Beth and Daryl as they struggle to make sense of their roles in the new world and their marriage, now there is a cure for the outbreak. Each chapter will also have a flashback up to present day to show how they ended up where they are. **


	2. Chapter 2

**_A/_N - Thanks for your reviews and encouragement. DarylDixon'sLover, brady66, Nikiree, mellymoo13, tanglingshadows, Maykits, heatherrk, Ela, Scully578**

**For people asking if I will be updating my other two stories, yes, yes, yes! As soon as I have the inspiration I write, but I have two babies, so as you can imagine it's hard to always find the free time, (but they are definitely work in progress.) This is on my mind right now as I am still mourning the loss of Beth!..Anyway...hope you like this next instalment. I have a story planned out, but any ideas would also be appreciated in the feedback.**

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><p><em>Daryl found Beth with her back against a tree, arms folded, staring methodically out in to the long stretch of road ahead of her, her light blonde messy ponytail blowing gently in the breeze. Maggie had said to giver her time, but Daryl didn't think time was the issue.<em>

"_What you doing?" he said tentatively, approaching her, his dark blue eyes full of concern, staring at her despondent face intently. _

_Beth turned to look at the face of her ruggedly handsome friend, despite his near permanent scowl he had such kind eyes. She opened her mouth to reply, but she honestly had no idea what the answer to his question was. She had been out here for hours thinking, trying to make sense of it all. It had been the same pretty much every day since they had rescued her. Some days she wondered whether she should have just jumped down that damn elevator shaft back when she'd had the chance. _

"_I – I- dunno," she eventually replied in a quiet voice, catching his eye. He didn't respond, but the look in his eye told her he had all the time in the world to listen._

"_It's been weeks and we haven't done anything, Daryl, Noah's still there and we haven't gone back for him, we- we have to go back for him," Beth stammered._

"_You know we can't do that," was all Daryl could say, slowly shaking his head. He knew Beth was desperate to go back for Noah, but Rick had said no. They had suffered too many losses to risk it all again. And as much as Daryl had come to like the kid in the end, he had to agree with their leader. There was too much at stake, he had seen the look on that crazy bitch Dawn's face, if she ever saw Beth again she'd likely kill her. He couldn't let that happen._

_Beth took a deep breath, snapping a twig in half as she looked away, "It all just feels so….so hopeless," she said softly._

"_No it aint," he replied awkwardly, watching her carefully. _

_Daryl felt as though his heart was breaking slightly as a sadness spread through him. This wasn't the girl he remembered. The bright shining light that had set his world on fire not so long ago. The world could be cruel now he knew that, it took little pieces of you bit by bit until you were left with nothing, but not while he was still living and breathing would he let it take Beth._

"_Y'know, you were right, there aint no good people left in the world anymore," Beth said miserably, looking directly at the good looking redneck, opening up slightly. She had been out here on her own for hours and she couldn't deny his presence wasn't comforting. He'd never been one to fully express his feelings, but she could tell he was worried about her and for that she was grateful._

"_That__ aint true," he hesitantly answered, moving a little closer to her. He desperately wanted to help her. She'd been like this on and off since they had gotten her back, quiet and distant, he never quite knew what was going on in her head. The only time he had seen her shed a single tear was when she had been saying her goodbyes to Noah, he wished she would cry again._

_There was another long period of silence between them. _

"_What are we doing?" Beth eventually said dismissively, biting down on her lower lip, her voice shaking slightly, adding, "Just surviving for the sake of surviving. What's the point? What are we even surviving for?" her eyes pleading with him to say something, anything._

_Daryl shifted uncomfortably, he opened his mouth to speak but the words dried on his tongue, he had asked himself that same question many times. But there was a point to all of this, there was something worth surviving for he felt certain of that now. _

"_Whatever happened, happened. You just got to start over, right?" he replied with emotion, his face hovering dangerously close to hers, his dark hair falling over his eye as he waited for her to respond._

_Beth blinked, her big blue eyes widening, scanning his scarred handsome face for what seemed like eternity. _

_Daryl thought back to what Carol had told him not so long ago, back when they had been looking for Beth. 'He was a man now'. And right now he knew he needed to do the manly thing. Slowly he moved his hand away from his side and reached out for Beth's small delicate fingers, wrapping them in his, feeling a sudden rush of warmth at the contact. His eyes still focused on her face, he detected a soft smile, causing her eyes to glow with a subtle sparkle as the warmth spread. The brightness she had created in him when they had been alone together, slowly lighting up again._

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><p><span>Four years later<span>

Daryl was lying in bed with his wife wrapped up lovingly in his arms. He hadn't had a great deal of experience with women before Beth, certainly never shared his bed with one on a regular basis. With her these intimate moments after they had made love were almost what Daryl enjoyed the most, his fingertips lightly tracing a pattern on her skin. They didn't have to say anything, they were just them.

Beth remained silent as she felt her husbands light touch on the curve of her hip as he continued to caress her affectionately. "Do you think I'm putting on weight?" she said quietly. She'd always been petite, but recently her clothes were starting to feel a little tight, she'd put it down to being able to access more calories now, but she didn't want to let herself go. She still wanted Daryl to desire her just as much as he had in the beginning.

Daryl didn't say anything at first, looking her in the eye a little taken aback. It wasn't like Beth to come out with something like that. She'd always been so self assured about her body, even when they had been roughing it for days at a time on the road. It was one of the many reasons he was so attracted to her. If she thought for one moment he would be concerned about a small thing like that too, she was wrong, he would never look elsewhere. He'd only ever have eyes for her and he only had to look at her to get turned on.

He cast his eyes down to study her figure briefly, noticing perhaps she had put on a little weight, not that he would have noticed otherwise, as he grunted, "I dunno, maybe, aint a big deal though."

Beth felt her heart melting a little as she looked up at Daryl, she loved there was a softer side to her moody introverted husband that was only ever for her. He wriggled slightly gently prizing her out of his arms as he reached for a half empty packet of cigarettes by the bed. Lighting one up and taking a long draw, he reached out for her hand again.

Beth lay back flat on the bed and smiled, her long blonde hair spread out across the pillow. Inhaling Daryl's cigarette smoke, she felt a small glow inside. Beth had detested smoking growing up, the idea of anyone smoking in bed would have been abhorrent to her. But now everything was different, the smell of cigarette smoke signified the end to a nightmare. People could readily buy cigarettes again and alcohol and a whole host of other everyday luxuries that were once unthinkable in a broken world.

"Oh, I almost forgot, I got some exciting news for ya," Beth suddenly said with a teasing smile pulling her hand away from him and hoisting herself up, her eyes sparkling.

She turned her back to him, leaning down over her side of the bed, the sheet covering her falling exposing her small perfectly rounded breasts. Reaching down she picked up a large white envelope, pulling out an official looking letter as she rolled back towards her husband.

Daryl looked over at her from where he lay next to her, his face full of anticipation and curiosity as he tried to figure out just what she was about to spring on him.

"I...got accepted in to med school," Beth said excitedly breaking in to an even wider grin, turning to show him the letter.

Daryl froze, his cigarette half hanging out of his mouth as he looked at the delighted look on his young wife's face. He knew she had talked about wanting to become a doctor now the outbreak was over, but he hadn't really given it that much thought, he certainly hadn't thought it would happen anytime soon.

"Well say something," Beth said, her excited smile fading a little. She had been on such a high all day waiting to tell him, before they had gotten carried away when he had first got home. Beth had had her heart set all her life on becoming a veterinarian like her father. But after the outbreak and seeing all the people they had lost, along with the brief time she had spent in the hospital, Beth had come to realize, the only thing she wanted to do now was become a doctor and help people, help save their lives. She was aware that going to med school in the new world. would be nothing like it would have been before; there were no flashy buildings or strict entry requirements, there probably weren't even any proper teaching materials. The struggling new government were only just starting to try and re-build educational institutions again out of the utter chaos and devastation that had erupted in the world before. But still there were people willing to teach and pass on their knowledge and experience to the likes of Beth, to try and start to build some kind of a better future.

"That's great," Daryl finally muttered, forcing a weak smile. He was pleased for her, he really was. He reached across to kiss her quickly on the cheek, before climbing out of bed and throwing his pants on, doing up the buckle on his belt, before stubbing out his cigarette.

"Where ya going?" Beth suddenly said, her face dropping, studying her husband with wide confused eyes, still clutching her acceptance letter firmly in her hand.

"Going to take a piss," he said as he walked out the room without looking at her.

Hearing him walking across the landing and down the stairs, Beth let a small sigh, reaching under her pillow for the little pair of shorts and t-shirt she always slept in, shaking out her long blonde hair behind her as she pulled the t-shirt over her head, 'sometimes he can be such an ass' she thought to herself as she looked around for her cellphone.

Dressed in just his jeans, Daryl stumbled around his and Beth's kitchen topless searching for something to eat, opening the fridge and pulling out a beer, allowing the lid to fall noisily to the floor as he opened it and took a long swig. Placing it down, he rummaged further to find some left over cold meats, pulling them out of the fridge and tearing at them with his fingers, feeling a strange mixture of confusion and anxiety. It wasn't that he wasn't happy for Beth, because he was and proud. Beth was smart, smarter than he was, she came from a good family, she had strong values and she had always been destined to do something great like study medicine and become a doctor of some sorts. The idea that he would have married a girl like that before would have been unthinkable. It wasn't just their difference in age, it was their complete difference in upbringings, they came from different worlds. None of that had mattered before though, firstly when it had just been the two of them and then later back with their close group of survivors. No one gave a shit about who anyone had been before, all that mattered was who they were then. The world had been turned upside down and in a strange way Daryl had felt more at peace with himself than ever in those times.

But right now, the insecure, defensive side of Daryl was starting to wonder whether those differences were starting to creep back. Beth was not only smart, she was beautiful too and the sweetest soul he had ever met. He wasn't stupid, he knew she was a rare jewel in the new world now. He knew there were plenty of men that would love to be in his shoes. So far they had managed to keep it as just the two of them, caught up in their own little bubble, but he wondered how things were going to change now she was moving on. Because he couldn't lose her, he wouldn't survive….

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><p><strong>AN - Sorry but couldn't have it all fluff, there are going to be some struggles for them ahead, (but nothing too bad), I am also hoping to bring in some other characters too. Possibly Maggie and Carol. Thanks for reading :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N - Wow, thanks for the great response to the story, I'm so excited to keep writing more for these two. This chapter was quite long, so I split in in to two, will post the next half very soon.**

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><p>"<em>I got it," Beth said excitedly, clutching Daryl's beloved crossbow in her hands, screwing her left eye closed, concentrating intently on the sight of the wild deer innocently chewing on some greenery in the distance. <em>

"_That's it, just over to the left a little," Daryl said patiently, coming up closely behind the young blonde, tickling the side of her neck with the ends of his long hair, causing a small shiver to run across her with the sensation of his soft warm breath on her skin. "Take your time, concentrate," he instructed further, his body pressing gently against hers._

_Beth shivered some more, trying to shake off the feeling of Daryl's presence and focus only on shooting the poor unsuspecting animal in front of her. Slowly, confidentiality, she pulled the crossbow back, releasing the deadly weapon in to the air as it flew in a single straight line striking the back of the animal neatly on the back of it's head, causing her to break in to a wide grin as it collapsed to the ground._

"_Told ya I didn't need your help anymore," she said playfully, raising her eyebrows at Daryl, flashing him a triumphant smile, darting off in to the distance to retrieve her prize._

_Daryl shook his head, his eyes following her, unable to stop himself from smiling too as he took off after her._

…_._

_Beth stood frozen to the spot, a lump forming in her throat as she stared up at the once beautiful building, appearing out of no-where in front of her. It wasn't too dissimilar to her old home, except this place was completely run down and considerably smaller, but it was still a traditional two storey with a white picket fence, pretty windows and wide front door. _

"_What you waiting for?" Daryl said, reaching where Beth was stood motionless over the dead animal, his eyes sweeping over the house in front of her too. He bent down without saying anything, pulling his arrow out of the dead deer lying on the ground._

"_You think we should go in?" Beth said still wide eyed._

_Daryl stood up, turning his attention fully to the building in front of them now. It was just another deserted house, there could be something of value in there, but more__ than likely not."Might as well take a look, but we'll have to be quick, I told the others we'd meet them back at the car," he said moving forwards to the front door, signalling with his hand for Beth to follow him._

"_Stay close," he said in a low voice, forcing the door._

_Beth felt her heart race, full of anticipation as she followed Daryl's orders, leaning her slight body into his as she shadowed him. It wasn't that she couldn't take care of herself and he knew that, she certainly wasn't the same scared little girl she had been back at the prison, but somehow it just felt more comforting to stay close to him. _It wasn't the first time Beth had offered to join Daryl and the others on a run. Since they had rescued her from the hospital she had become an invaluable member of the group in more ways than one, she'd changed, she was stronger and braver, more willing to take risks. Despite that Daryl still felt the urge to protect her, more so than any of the other members of their group. He'd nearly lost her once and he wasn't about to let that happen again. There _was very much an unspoken close bond between them still, they were friends, but the lines were blurred, their deep friendship had been unexpected but was growing every day, and slowly it was becoming more and more acceptable for them to get in to each others personal space._

_Beth sensed Daryl's intense concentration, his chest slowly breathing in and out as he carefully stepped inside, crossbow raised. Her small fingers curled tightly around the pistol tucked in to the waistband of her jeans. Still following closey behind him Beth drew in a small breath, inhaling Daryl's familiar manly scent, it was deep and musky, mixed with sweat and leather, it was just Daryl. It made her feel safe and secure. _

"_Don't look like anyone's been here for a while," Daryl said moving further in to the house as they broke apart, stepping over a pile of old junk in the hallway leading them in to the main living room. _

_She didn't say anything, her eyes moving across the debris and broken furniture in the room, feeling strangely emotional. Normally she was desensitized to this kind of thing now, destroyed homes, crushed lives, and shattered dreams, they were the norm in the world these days. But there was something about this place that got to her. The décor was just as she would have had it had this been her own home. The peeling wallpaper and ripped up sofas would have once been snug and cosy, the pretty little fireplace covered now with dents and red blood stains, would once have been warm and inviting. _

_She moved a little closer to the fireplace as something caught her eye, a flash of silver, rifling through the layers of dust and rubbish she picked out an old photo frame. She held it up to the light projecting through the dirty window, the glass on the picture was cracked and it was splattered with red and brown marks, but she could just about make out it was a young couple, a blonde woman and a dark haired man, they didn't look very old, this was probably their first home. They were smiling in the picture, they looked happy and relaxed, they were probably full of excitement for their future, maybe they had wanted to start a family here she thought, and just for a moment Beth thought about breaking her no crying rule as she played out an imaginary fantasy life for the tragic strangers staring back at her from the faded image in her hands, her thoughts drifting to the cruel way their story must have ended. Why shouldn't she shed a tear for what could have been? But she choked it back, quickly remembering there was no place in the world for crying anymore. _

_She turned her head to see Daryl__ noisily searching through drawers on the other side of the room. He stopped what he was doing and looked back towards her, "Nothing much of any use here, just some old candles and matches, these batteries might be okay though," he said, walking over to where Beth was still stood clutching the photo frame tightly in her hands. He glanced at it over her shoulder without saying anything._

"_You think they were happy here?" Beth said dreamily._

_Daryl just shrugged, "Maybe, before they became walker meat," he said smirking, snatching the frame from her hands, slamming it face down roughly on the top of the fireplace to remove the glass, tearing the photo out before handing it back to her, saying, "It's real silver, could make a good weapon."_

_Beth shot him a wounded look, almost disgusted._

"_What?" he replied, confusion appearing on his face, trying to work out what he had could have said or done to have upset her so much._

"_You don't get it, do you? These were real people, real living breathing people, just like us, they didn't only exist to provide us with supplies, they had hopes and dreams for the future, a future that was snatched away from them, from us, from everyone." Beth said raising her voice passionately, her eyes flashing with emotion at Daryl, moving closer to his face. _

_Daryl looked back at her still confused. His gaze swept to her big blue eyes, creamy white skin and golden blonde hair, she had to be the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes on. She was so pure, so innocent still. He didn't completely understand, but he sort of did. This place, the people that had once lived here, they represented something to her, a life that could never be now. He felt her pain. _

_She remained in the same spot, her face flushed as she searched the depth of his dark blue eyes, taking in everything about the way he was looking at her, full of concern. Feeling something rocket through her, electricity of some sorts. She was experiencing that sensation more and more when he was around her._

_ Daryl was her friend, her companion, they enjoyed spending time together, they had a connection, he looked out for her, he cared about her deeply after their time alone together and he had risked everything to rescue her. But was it? Could it be? Could they? _

_She bravely took a step closer to him, holding his gaze, feeling another strong sensation she could only put down to arousal spreading through her. Looking straight in to his eyes some more for affirmation he felt it too._

_Daryl was unsure what to do at first, watching the face of the hot young blonde in front of him, moving dangerously close to his. She did things to him, he was aware of that… but this was Beth. Could he really? Was there actually a chance that?... He drew in a breath, his heart beating fast with an entirely different type of adrenaline to the one he'd experienced previously on entering the building._

_Slowly he brought his hands up to cup the sides of her face as she reached up and wrapped her arms around his forearms. He gently ran his thumb from her cheek to just under her chin._

_Beth felt as though she was about to explode with the anticipation. Was he really going to kiss her? _

_Staying like that for a moment more, Daryl eventually gulped, abruptly looking away and Beth's heart sank as he stammered awkwardly."We- we best be getting back the others will be wondering where we are, I told Glenn we wouldn't be long."_

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><p>Beth held the phone to her ear, hugging her bare knees to her chest from where she was seated sunk back into the sofa dressed in a pair of denim shorts and a baby pink top, her eyes a little red and swollen from crying.<p>

The line crackled at first, she breathed in with anticipation, sometimes it connected sometimes it didn't, the phone lines like all other technologies these days could be pretty unpredictable still.

Eventually she relaxed a little, hearing the buzz of the dial tone. She put her thumbnail up to her lips and chewed just as she always did when she was anxious, quickly letting out a small sigh of relief as she heard a familiar comforting voice pick up from the other end.

"Maggie, it's Beth," she said, the line was faint but she could still make out her sisters voice at the other end.

"Beth, hang on a minute," Maggie said, her voice sounding a little distant not quite her usual upbeat self. "It's Beth," she yelled to someone at the other end, probably Glenn, Beth thought, "Glenn says hi," Maggie said returning to the line.

"Oh, tell him I said hi too," Beth said with a smile. It had been months since she had seen her sister and husband and she missed them.

"So, how is everything in Atlanta? " Maggie said trying to sound a little more enthusiastic, although Beth could still tell something wasn't quite right, she knew her sister, she was hiding something from her, forcing herself to sound cheerful.

"Good…really good," Beth lied, before quickly blurting out, "Maggie, I got accepted in to med school. I start next month. I'm going to be a doctor." Her sister being the one person after Daryl, Beth had been bursting to share her news with.

"Really?" Maggie said letting out an excited squeal. "Beth, that's amazing, really amazing. Daddy would be so proud," responding with genuine enthusiasm, real emotion protruding from her voice.

Beth couldn't help but beam down the phone. She had known her older sister and only living relative would be excited for her and it really picked her up. Beth also knew Maggie was right, their father would have been desperately proud if he could see her now. Perhaps he could, she thought philosophically, a single tear sliding down her pink cheek at the idea of her father at peace somewhere watching over them.

"So, Daryl must be real happy?" Maggie questioned.

Beth went silent for a second, her stomach churning, glancing out the window to their empty driveway, "Yeah, I guess," she said slowly, pausing, the line going quiet before she suddenly said, "We had a fight, he's taken off somewhere." Beth couldn't even remember what the fight had started about, something to do with her not double locking the yard door. But he'd been off with her all day, speaking to her only in moody one word answers, she'd put it down to him being tired, but she couldn't help but think it coincided with her telling him about her acceptance letter the night before. She drew in a deep breath, she loved him but sometimes she just couldn't figure him out.

"Well y'know, Daryl, he aint the best at showing his feelings," Beth's older sister said kindly.

"I know, but he don't seem at all happy about my news, he's almost acting like I've done something wrong," Beth responded, her voice wobbling a little.

This time Maggie let out a sigh, she liked Daryl a lot, with him she felt certain her younger sister would be safe, she knew he made Beth desperately happy too, but his behaviour still left a lot to be desired at times. "Listen, Beth, Daryl will be happy for you, real happy. He probably just doesn't realize it yet. He's not big on change you know that." Maggie said as Beth silently nodded down the phone, agreeing with her sister. "You going off and doing something like that, it's a big deal, he's worried how it's going to change things, because, Beth, it will change things," Maggie said wisely.

Beth shook her pretty blonde head, "No, it won't, that's stupid," she said firmly.

"Maybe to you, but not to him, he loves you more than anything, you're his world, you know that and the thought of losing you would terrify him." Maggie went on to explain.

"He aint gonna lose me," Beth said even more firmly. A wave of nausea hitting her as she couldn't help but think Maggie was partly right, it made sense. She thought back to a couple of occasions when Daryl had nearly started fist fights in bars, over other men simply looking in her direction. It had infuriated her a little, made her feel like she was a possession. None of her previous boyfriends had ever behaved like that. But then again none of her previous boyfriends had ever loved her like Daryl did, Beth knew that and she'd come to accept that his behaviour was simply a sign of that. But if he seriously thought that her becoming a doctor would change a single thing between them, he was insane, no matter what she loved him and that would never ever change. Since they had married and the outbreak had ended, they had been blissfully happy and Beth would do everything in her power to make sure things remained that way. But she was slowly starting to realize that the life they had longed for for so long, didn't come without it's own complications.

She reached for the light switch to the lamp rested on the small table beside her, filling the room with a subtle warming glow. It was amazing how quickly you went back to taking things like electricity for granted again Beth thought, as another silence followed and the line crackled, for a moment Beth wondered if it was going to go dead. "Maggie, you still there?" she said, glancing out the window to see blue neon lights flashing by, thinking how it was still so surreal to see emergency services or order of any kind, as she waited for her sisters response.

"Yeah, I'm still here," her sister replied, her voice slightly flat again.

"I'm sorry, I haven't even asked how you are?" Beth said, she'd been so wrapped up in her own little bubble for a moment she'd forgotten the concern she had felt when she had first heard her sisters voice.

"Oh, I'm fine," Maggie said, the tone in her voice suggesting otherwise.

"Well, no offence but y'don't don't sound fine," Beth responded.

There was a painful pause before Maggie eventually said, "I saw a doctor."

Beth felt her heart racing; patiently waiting for her sister to continue.

"He said there is no chance." Maggie said quietly

Beth felt her body flood with emotion for the second time that day, detecting the heartbreak in her sisters voice. Maggie and Glenn had been desperately trying for a baby for the past couple of years; they had both wanted it so badly. But Maggie had worried due to a collection of injuries she had picked up during the outbreak that she wouldn't be able to have children. Beth had tried to reassure her that wouldn't be the case, but as time had crept on, it had become more and more apparent there could be a problem. A problem that could quite possibly have been easy fixed once upon a time, but sadly not now with things the way they were in the world still.

She ran her hand through her long hair, desperately trying to think of the right thing to say to her older sister. Maggie had had her heart set on having a family with Glenn, helping to raise the next generation, a whole new beginning; she had felt certain that was her calling now. This was crushing news.

"There are still ways," Beth said gently.

"No there aint, that's it, it weren't part of our journey, that's all." Maggie said strongly, choking back a tear.

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><p><strong>AN - Next chapter will be more from Daryls POV. Thanks again for reading, as always ideas welcome :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**a/n - Thanks again for the lovely reviews :) I'm going to keep writing as much as I can, until TWD returns in Feb! **

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><p><em>Daryl wasn't sure if anyone could see him as he tried to remain hidden behind the trees, glancing through the pale green leaves every now and again to steal small glances in Beth's direction. A burning ache pulsing through him as he silently watched her, he half prayed the feeling would go away, it confused him, made him feel uncomfortable, this was Beth.<em>

_She had gone off on a mission with Eugene to try and find some clean drinking water at a stream near their current camp. Daryl wasn't exactly buzzed at the idea of her alone in the woods with just Eugene for company. But no-one else had seemed to bat an eyelid, Beth could take care of herself now, she was tough, she didn't need protecting, not like she had in the early days. Daryl had wanted to offer to go with them too, but like most occasions recently; something had stopped him, settling for watching quietly from the background instead as she'd gone off on her adventure._

_..._

_Daryl had no idea how much time exactly had passed since that afternoon changing everything; days, weeks even. All he knew, was that things hadn't been the same between them since that late afternoon back in the deserted house in the woods, when he'd nearly kissed her. The day he had nearly lost all control. He had been so close to just reaching out and grabbing it. Happiness. But something had held him back, because firstly he didn't get too emotionally involved. Ever. Secondly, everyone thought Beth was just like a little sister to him, he'd even managed to convince himself of that on many occasions and he couldn't screw that up._

_Beth represented something special to him, a little ray of golden sunshine in this dark world. His reason to live and he wasn't going to just throw all that away for a stupid moment of physical lust. But no matter how much he might try to deny it, pretend it wasn't there, it was. Desire. Full on sexual desire. She might be younger than him, she might be his friend, but he was slowly starting to realize her wanted her in a way he had never wanted anyone before. His body longed for hers. It had always been there at the back of his mind, even back at the prison and after, when it had just been the two of them, but he had somehow managed to push it away, there were other more important things to think about back then, like keeping them both alive._

_..._

_He drew in a breath as he watched her some more, she was crouching down next to Eugene, examining some water in a thin plastic bottle, her blonde hair was tied up, falling down her back in loose waves, her eyes were round and curious, concentration etched on her face. Daryl's eyes narrowed, his heart pounding he hadn't intended to follow them, they hadn't ventured far, he'd gone out too and it had just sort of happened._

_With his eyes still firmly fixed on her, Daryl felt his palms screw in to tight fists as he watched Eugene touch her arm, causing her to break in to a small ripple of laughter._

_Then everything seemed to happen so fast. Out of no-where, lazily ambling towards them a small herd of five maybe six walkers appeared. Maybe they had been attracted by Beth's laughter or Eugene's loud voice, it didn't really matter all Daryl saw was imminent danger._

_Luckily the amount of noise the monsters were making snarling and drawling was enough to alert both Beth and Eugene. Beth turned around, 'don't scream' Daryl silently willed as he detected the look of terror flash across her pretty blue eyes._

_Keeping her cool, Beth reached to her waist for the pistol Daryl had insisted she carried on her at all times, shakily pointing it at the nearest one knocking it to the ground. The noise of the gunshot enough to attract the attention of the entire group to the young blonde as Eugene darted away in the opposite direction and in to the distance, closely tailed by a couple of the walkers at the back, alerted by his sudden movement._

_Daryl knew he had to act fast, there was a lot for Beth to fight off on her own, adrenaline pulsing through him, he raised his cross bow, expertly firing taking out the three remaining, one by one, causing them to topple in to a big heap on top of Beth._

_"Beth, Beth, you okay?" he said anxiously, dashing towards her, his hands shaking, throwing the foul beasts off her as quickly as he could. She didn't answer, causing a deep thud of anxiety to hit his stomach, his heart rate speeding up dramatically; he couldn't lose her now, not like this._

_"I'm okay," Beth eventually muttered, looking up at Daryl bent over her, his face full of panic._

_"You get bit?" he questioned, reaching out for her hand pulling her up to a sitting position._

_Beth was speechless at first, slowly getting her breath back, her blue eyes sparkling in the reflection of the clear water from the stream next to her. One minute she had seen her life flashing before her, the next out of no-where Daryl was here again, "No- no, I'm fine," she stammered, allowing him to pull her up further to standing. Her legs wobbling slightly, still clutching hold of his hand, she leaned back against the nearest tree._

_Daryl inched a step closer to her, the look of fear in her eyes making him realize just how vulnerable she still was, she'd come a long way since the start of the outbreak she was tougher than ever now, but she still needed them, needed him._

_Looking back at him, without even thinking Beth suddenly found her arms were flung around Daryl's neck, burying her face in to his muscular torso. He'd been weird recently and she'd missed him. but he had just saved her life again. _

_Beth had known things had been slightly off between them of late, she had worried she had ruined their friendship after their near kiss. Not to mention she had felt hurt and a little humiliated at his brush off and avoidance since. He was so difficult to read. But the way he had just appeared, the way he had looked down at her moments before, his dark blue eyes full of emotion, she knew she meant something to him, something special._

_As the hug gently broke apart, Daryl found his forehead touching hers, his breath hot against her cheek. Beth gripped the back of his shirt tightly. His fingers curled around her waist gently tugging her towards him. Adrenaline surged through Daryl's veins as his strong bare arms drew her even closer. Unable to stop this time, she was so close, his mouth suddenly crushed against hers, the kiss full of pent up desire. Beth pressed closer, grabbing a handful of his hair. Daryl ran his tongue across her lips, just as soft as he'd imagined. Beth's tongue crept out to meet his, teasing. Taking the lead, Daryl slid his tongue fully in to her mouth, tasting her, pressing deeper, closer, he wasn't used to this but it seemed to come so naturally. Her upper body arched towards his, speaking to him with subtle movements. His hands moved upwards over her t-shirt, closing around her small sensitive breasts. Through his jeans she felt him harden._

_Daryl could no longer hold back, he knew before the outbreak the thought of anything happening between him and Beth would have been absurd. But in the strange world they lived in now, being with her had awoken something in him, a feeling he had kept locked away for a very long time, a need he could no longer control. _

_The kiss speeding up, they both thought on some levels it wasn't proper, but they didn't understand how it could be so wrong when it felt so right._

_Lost in the moment, it didn't bother them at first, the low whirring sound in the distance, almost like a high pitch vacuum cleaner getting closer and closer, a sound that at one time would have been so completely mundane and every day. But as the deep whooshing sound got louder and louder it caused them to abruptly pull apart. It most definitely wasn't the norm to hear that sound now, it was a sound that most had given up hope of ever hearing again._

_"Is that?" Beth said starry eyed, her mouth gaping open in shock and slight amazement, gazing up in to the sky, the breeze blowing her hair across her face a little._

_Daryl put his hand up to his forehead to get a better look, "Yep," he replied in equal shock as they both continued to look up at the large impressive aircraft flying overhead….._

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><p><span>Four years later<span>

Daryl knew exactly where he was heading as his motorcycle raced along the deserted highway, the wind blowing the ends of his hair as he picked up speed, in this brief moment he felt free, alive . He felt his cell phone digging in to his trouser pocket, a painful reminder of the calls he had ignored from Beth. He knew he was being an ass but he had things he needed to figure out.

It had been a long time since he had been out on his motorcycle; Beth had all but forbidden it. Said she'd had enough worrying about whether he'd come home in one piece or not for a lifetime. But right now Daryl didn't care, he needed to get away to think. Leave the city and her questioning eyes behind for a while.

Stepping through the overgrown weeds leading up to the front door, he knocked loudly. After a while when there was no reply, he walked around to the side, peering through the window. "Carol," he yelled, "Carol, I know you're in there, it's Daryl."

He waited patiently back at the door, before eventually it opened. "Daryl," Carol said with a weak smile, a small twinkle forming in her eye. He didn't say anything just stepped forward throwing his arms around his old friend. It had been a while since he had spoken to her, time was flying by so quickly now and he missed her.

"What you doing here?" Carol questioned as she led him in to her front room. Gesturing for him to sit down, moving a pile of clothes and an old blanket from the sofa.

"Beer?" she said handing him a bottle as he sat. He took it, nodding his head in gratitude, putting the cool glass to his lips to drink, a small thing he completely took for granted now as he breathed out satisfied, wiping his mouth as he slowly removed the beverage.

Daryl glanced around, he could tell she wasn't in a good place still, he mentally compared her unkept house to his and Beth's immaculate home and he felt grateful as well as a little sad, Carol deserved better.

But Carol like most people nowadays was still having a hard time getting back to reality and carving out some sort of normal life for herself now the outbreak was over, and after everything they had been through and had to do to stay alive during that time.

"Can't I just stop by and say hello?" he said moodily in response to her question moments earlier.

Remaining silent, Carol simply raised her eyebrows in response.

Daryl looked down at the floor, he hated she could read him so well.

"Beth got accepted into med school, she's going to be a doctor," he suddenly blurted out.

"Well, that's great," Carol replied a genuine smile spreading across her face. "Isn't it?" she added, confusion appearing in her eyes, noticing Daryl's small scowl. Beth and Daryl had been an unlikely couple, but Carol had seen firsthand despite the age gap and their apparent differences, how they had just seemed to fit together and in the world of horror they had experienced it was a welcome bit of light.

"I guess," he said sullenly, before shaking his head and going on to say, "I don't know what we're doing anymore. I'm working every hour in some goddam dead end job, just trying to keep a roof over our head, arguing with Beth over who takes out the trash and what colour to paint the damn bathroom. Not so long ago, we were fighting off human corpses, looting, killing, doing whatever we could to survive. We had a mission, passion for something, life had a purpose…."

"You really wanna go back to that?" Carol exclaimed, her eyes wide and questioning.

A long silence followed, both pondering the answer to such an enormous question. Life had been hell back then, but they had had a clear purpose, there was no bullshit, no rules, no superficial everyday worries, they had both slotted in to that world perfectly. Beth had once said to Daryl that he was made for the world back then, and he was starting to think that maybe she was right. Because right now he wasn't so sure he was made for the new world they lived in.

Carol sighed, "Life back then was a thousand times worse, Daryl, we had no idea what was around the corner, there was no hope, nothing, just blackness. Yes, we had a misson, our misson was to find this." she said slowly.

"Why don't you come back with me? You can stay with us," Daryl said looking back at his dear friend, she had helped him through so much, she had become so brave and strong, he hated seeing her so broken and lost now. He knew she had her demons, but so did he. He didn't understand why she insisted on staying out here on her own. "Beth won't mind," he added, looking at her intently.

Carol didn't respond, arching her eyebrows a little, "She won't," Daryl assured.

"I know, but I'm just fine here, I like it," she said, her voice warming up, she meant it, she didn't want to be on her own forever, but for now it was right.

"Suit yourself," Daryl replied bluntly.

"Beth still needs you, Daryl," Carol said after another pause. "Maybe she doesn't need you to save her from a ton of walkers anymore or from the Govner or Dawn, but she still needs you to survive and you need her."

Daryl remained silent allowing her to carry on talking.

"She's going to go on to great things, but so are you. The world isn't the same as it was before and you're not the same person you were before the outbreak either, you're different and you've got Beth, so don't screw it up, because you know she thinks the world of you." Carol went on to say.

Daryl scowled, he wasn't quite sure he saw it like that yet, but he knew on some levels Carol was right, he needed to try. "Yeah, well don't think I'm exactly her favourite person right now," he said gruffly.

"Go home, tell her you're sorry and give her hot make up sex, she'll soon come round," Carol added with a smirk.

Daryl felt his cheeks flush slightly, he wasn't entirely comfortable with Carol talking about his wife like that, but she was right, he knew she was.

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><p>a<strong>n - Thanks again for reading. Pleas let me know your thoughts (next chapter there will be lots of hot Beth and Daryl action ;)**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N - Thanks everyone for reviewing and following this story. I'm really enjoying updating it. Here is a little treat for y'all. Happy new year! **

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><p><em>Daryl glanced backwards to see that Beth had stopped walking. She was standing still on the road, her light blonde hair sparkling in the late afternoon sun. <em>

"_You okay?" he muttered, wandering back to where she was stood._

"_Yeah, sorry, I just needed to stop a sec," Beth replied, holding her hand to her lower back. They had been walking for hours now, with little food or water and she was exhausted. "You go on, I can catch you up," she added, looking to where the silhouettes of a few of the other members of their group were fading in to the distance. She could only clearly make Carol out now, who was walking slightly slower having baby Judith strapped to her front._

_Daryl ignored Beth's request, instead producing a bottle of water from his backpack, handing it to her. "Here," he said in a low but not unkind voice._

_Beth waved her hand at him, "Nah, we need to save it, for when we really need it."_

"_You really need it now," he responded, pressing it in to her palm this time, his hair blowing across his eye with the early evening breeze. His eyes fixed directly on her, full of concern._

"_Thanks," Beth said meekly as she slowly unscrewed the top, putting it to her lips to sip._

_Daryl continued to watch the young naturally gorgeous blonde stood in front of him. Despite the fact that he had barely had two seconds alone with her over the past few weeks, he still felt responsible for her. He always would._

_He couldn't deny that he had been keeping his distance from her again though. It wasn't like last time. He didn't regret the kiss that had taken place between them, however uncomfortable it made him feel now. But everything had turned so crazy, had moved so fast from that point on, that there had scarcely been time to think about it again since. He had realized he needed to focus on other things. _

_They had raced back to their camp to inform the rest of the group, after their kiss had suddenly been interrupted by the astonishing sight of a large aeroplane flying above them. After which, more and more weird shit had started happening around their group. More aeroplanes had suddenly been popping in to the sky, plus fresh tyre tracks were strangely appearing all over the muddy roads around their camp, and most concerning of all, they had found leaflets scattered around the area covering their camp, stating in bold red text, 'URGENT MESSAGE GO TO YOUR NEAREST TOWN'._

_They'd had precisely no clue who was behind it, and it went without saying they were suspicious, but proceeding with extreme caution, Rick had decided they should take to the roads again, try and find vehicles and approach the outskirts of the next town they came in to contact with, so they could investigate what the hell was going on. _

_With that decision in mind, Daryl knew he had to resume his position in the group as Rick's right hand man. They were counting on him. So any sort of fooling around with Beth was now out of the question. Or so he told himself anyway and he'd kept his distance a little again, whilst still keeping an eye on her from afar._

_..._

_Silently Beth screwed the top back on his bottle, handing it back to him. Indicating with her head she was ready to go on. She knew he had been going slowly waiting for her. She wasn't as fast as some of the others. In a way his concern annoyed her slightly, it was almost as though he thought she was weak still, but in another way she was thankful and happy he had stayed back with her. This was the first time they had been alone in ages. _

_If she was honest Beth still couldn't quite work Daryl out. He could be so introverted and distant sometimes. She knew he cared about her, a lot. Having completely taken her by surprise, kissing her out of the blue by the river the day he'd saved her from a walker attack, the day they'd first seen the plane. But he had also been pretty hot and cold since. Half the time recently he had almost acted as though she didn't exist even, but then she would catch him staring at her when he thought she wasn't looking, and he had barely left her side since they had taken to the road again earlier that day, despite hardly uttering a word. _

_As he did up his backpack, Beth drew in a breath working up the courage to confront him about his behaviour towards her. She knew before they went on again, she wanted to clear the air now, she just couldn't bear the atmosphere between them anymore, "Daryl, I – " She said, glancing at him as he looked away and she hesitated. _

_She opened her mouth to start again, but before she had the chance to continue, he suddenly grabbed hold of her arm firmly, dragging her violently in to the bushes to the side of the road._

"_What the.." she started, his grip tightening on her arm, burning her skin as she stopped mid sentence her mouth falling open, her eyes looking out through the camouflage of the trees, resting on the sight of a large army truck in the distance. It was stopped in the middle of the road, a group of about four or five men in army uniforms with large machine guns wandering around by the side of it, two of them forcing what looked like a terrified Carol and baby Judith up and on to it. _

"Quick, w_e gotta do something, now," Beth yelled._

"_Ssshhh.." Daryl hissed in a fierce whisper, clamping his rough hand over her mouth. _

"_Daryl, that's Carol and baby Judith, we gotta go and help them," Beth whispered, wriggling out of his grip, panic flooding her face, adding, "They could have more of our people, Maggie was further up there too. We have to help."_

"_We will," Daryl said, his face flushing bright red with anger, scarcely able to control himself, everything in him screaming to rush out guns blazing towards the men taking Carol and Judith. But if there was one thing he had learnt from recent times, it was think first and act second. He would more than likely get them all killed if he tried anything reckless like that now. He had his crossbow and a gun, Beth had a gun and a knife, but they would be significantly outnumbered. So he was faced with no choice but to sit back and observe, try and work out where they were going and what they were doing. That way he could wait for the back up of the rest of their group, and that way they might all have a chance._

"_They're going. Where are they taking them?" Beth exclaimed as the truck slowly drove off in to the distance. _

_Daryl stood up, without looking at Beth he said gruffly, "We gotta keep off the roads, there could be more of em.. We'll need to keep to the woods, then further up join the road again and pick up their tracks. The others will be further up there too, we can regroup, warn them."_

_Beth didn't need to look at his face to know he was worried. If they had taken Carol there had to be a good chance they had taken the rest of their group too. Silently she got to her feet and followed him. This time he made no special consideration for her, marching ahead, his eyes cold and fierce. _

_They walked on for what seemed like hours, Daryl walking ahead in stony silence, Beth doing her best to keep up with him. She had opened her mouth to speak a few times before thinking better of it after seeing the expression on his surly face. She had found out the hard way that when he was in one of these moods, it was best to leave him alone. _

_Eventually he slowed down and catching up to him, Beth said hesitantly, "It's going to be dark soon, we need to try and find the others."_

"_We ain't going to find em tonight,," he mumbled throwing his backpack down on to the ground violently. _

"_We have to try," Beth pleaded her voice shaking._

"_What part of we're not going to find them, don't ya get?" he replied bluntly, before raising his voice even more, saying, "You want to be wandering round the woods in the pitch black all night? Be my guest princes." Before his voice softened slightly and he added, "You need rest."_

"_You need rest too," Beth snapped back, leaning down, gathering some branches to get a fire started. _

"_I need to think," he said in a low voice, almost to himself more than anything. _

_Beth carried on building the fire as another uncomfortable silence fell. She knew Daryl was furious and in a way he blamed himself for not being there to help Carol and Judith. But she wished he wouldn't take it out on her. _

…_._

"_You okay?" Daryl eventually mumbled, his voice calmer, looking sideways to where Beth was huddled next to him by the small fire they had managed to get going._

_Beth just nodded, pulling her hooded jacket a little tighter around herself as she shivered. The nights were getting colder now with the shifting seasons the further north they were getting. She didn't respond further, she could tell by the way Daryl was looking at her that he felt bad for the way he had treated her earlier, now that he'd had time to cool off a little. _

"_You cold?" he said, his eyes resting on her slight shivering frame, edging slightly closer to where she was sat, genuine concern etched on his face._

_Beth shrugged, she didn't want to admit it but she was freezing, unable to hide her chattering teeth and trembling lower lip. Just as fine droplets of rain started to fall around them. Causing her to shiver even more._

"_Here," Daryl said, moving closer towards her, wrapping his arm around her, rubbing her back. _

"_Thanks," Beth muttered, warming slightly from his body heat. She had craved this kind of comfort from him for months. But right now, although his gesture was well meaning it was very methodical and lacking in any sort of genuine affection or passion, it was purely about survival. It would have been the same had it been Rick, Tyresse or Glenn that she had been stranded out here with._

"_Can't build the fire up anymore, don't want to attract too much attention," he mumbled as he continued to lightly rub her back._

"_How have we got back here?" Beth suddenly blurted out, shaking her head, allowing a small laugh to escape her lips with the irony. It was almost like they'd travelled back in time to those first few days after the fall of the prison, when it had just been the two of them, scared, alone and angry._

"_What ya mean?" He questioned his eyes screwing up with confusion. _

"_You and me alone in the woods," Beth continued, allowing herself to relax a little more now next to him. _

_He didn't say anything, but Beth knew he was thinking back to that time too. His body was becoming less stiff and more comfortable as he continued to hold her close to him _

_Beth then thought about how it might just be the two of them again, but everything had changed. She had been younger and more naïve back then, more trusting, she had also been nursing a slight crush on Daryl, whilst he had pretty much acted indifferent to her in that way. But her schoolgirl crush had been nothing compared to the feelings she was developing for the rough redneck now. Unlike then also, Beth now knew, despite his frustrating behaviours, Daryl had some sort of feelings for her too. _

_Beth pressed herself in a little closer to him, digging her nails in to her palm. She knew he had reservations about showing his feelings for her, but surely whatever those reservations were they were irrelevant in their world now. They needed to live in the moment, he just needed to see that. She bit her lip, "Y'know," she started, "If I hadn't slowed down, we would have been taken too, who knows where we would be now."_

_He still didn't respond as Beth carried on bravely, "It makes you realise, we wake up each day knowing there is a very good chance it could be our last. All this fighting, surviving, we have to grab hold of the good things while we still can. No regrets."_

_She trailed off unsure of how her statement had been received, whether the handsome archer had realized what she had been getting at or not. _

_He remained silent, but in response she felt his fingers moving a little lower down her back as he drew her even closer to him, allowing her to rest her head on his muscular chest so she could hear his heart beating against her ear. Slowly and carefully he stroked the top of her silky blonde hair, the caress full of affection this time as the bitter night air whipped through them both, causing her to lean even further in to him. _

_Beth didn't care that Daryl wasn't talking, his actions told her all she needed to know. Her whole body warming with the feel of his beside her, and l__eaning down still keeping the closeness between them he gently planted a small kiss on the side of her head. _

_When the rest of their group had been around and there had been talk of making plans for the future, this kind of behaviour between them would have been unthinkable to Daryl. Any kind of romantic relationship with Beth would be out of the question. Despite the kiss they had shared in private, getting close to her in that way in public would just not be an option. However, Daryl wasn't quite sure why, but when it was just the two of them alone together, being with her felt so natural, so right. The closeness and intimacy between them came so easily, it was as though there was an invisible force drawing them together._

_Beth turned to look at him, moving backwards slightly so they were facing, their eyes locking together. "I –I," she started again hesitantly, a strand of her wet hair from the rain suddenly plastering itself across her lips, silencing her. _

_This time he responded by moving his thumb up to lightly brush it away, wiping the moisture from her lips so he could taste her as he slowly found himself moving in to kiss her. Their lips locking lightly at first, before speeding up, the pressure increasing as they released all the tension that had been building over the past few weeks._

"_What was that?" Beth said as they both suddenly broke apart hearing a twig snap._

_Daryl immediately reached for his crossbow, holding it up in the direction of the dark trees in front of them alerted to danger as several more twigs snapped. and a dark figure suddenly appeared with a gun pointed in their direction. _

"_It's okay, y'all can come out," Rick yelled back at the trees grinning at Daryl and Beth as their leader came fully in to sight. Carl, Tyreese, Abraham, Eugene, Gabriel, Glenn and Maggie slowly appearing after him weapons poised._

"_Beth," Maggie said dropping her gun, rushing towards her sister flinging her arms around her crushing her slightly. "You're okay, oh thank God, you're okay, they didn't get you." she exclaimed her face full of relief._

_Beth hugged her sister, a little taken aback. They had only been parted a few hours. She knew Maggie was a little over protective of her now more than ever, but still._

"_There are people rounding up all the females." Rick explained, "Michonne, Sasha, Tara, Rosita. Maggie was the only one they didn't see."_

"_They got Carol and Judith too," Daryl said, watching as a fresh look of fury formed in the sheriff's eyes._

"_Okay, listen up everyone," Rick said loudly. "We all need to stick together now. No splitting up in to smaller groups again, we keep closely as one group. We are going to need each other…Some very weird shit is going down..."_

* * *

><p><span>Four years later<span>

Daryl closed the door carefully, making his way towards the front room of the house he shared with Beth. He could hear voices so he knew she wasn't alone.

Beth felt her stomach flip, hearing Daryl's footsteps approaching. She bit her lip, glancing at Noah. He shifted awkwardly; there was always for some reason a slight air of tension between her gruff redneck husband and her younger more laid back friend.

"How's it going?" Daryl said sheepishly as he entered the room. Looking from Beth to Noah, avoiding eye contact with his wife. Forcing a friendly nod in Noah's direction.

"You're back," Beth said coldly.

"Yeah," he mumbled a tad guiltily.

"It's err..getting late, I'd better be going," Noah said rising to his feet.

"You don't have to," Beth said defensively looking at her friend. Apart from Daryl, Noah was the only person in Atlanta that she could trust these days, whenever she needed him he was always there for her.

"Don't go on my account, man," Daryl added awkwardly. Normally he was a little off hand with his wife's friend, but he knew he had some grovelling to do on this particular occasion, which meant he had to at least try and make the effort to be civil.

"No, really, I need to be getting back, I've got a delivery coming in tonight," Noah said turning towards the door. He ran a small bar a few blocks away. Beth could never quite understand why he still stuck around the rundown mess that was the former city of Atlanta. But selfishly she was glad that he did.

"Noah came by to drop off a book on medicine for me, his uncle was a trauma surgeon," Beth explained to Daryl.

"Oh," Daryl grunted in response.

…

As the front door closed, Daryl leaned in to kiss Beth. She wrinkled her nose and pushed him away, she could smell the alcohol on his breath. She was pretty mad at him for just taking off on his bike earlier that day after their argument, but she knew now wasn't the time to bring it up she was tired. She'd talk to him about it the next day after they'd both had some sleep. Without saying a word she turned to walk towards their kitchen.

Daryl had other plans as she heard him follow her. She opened the dishwasher and started unloading the content, sensing his presence in the doorway to the room, ignoring him, feeling his eyes following her every move.

"Where were you?" Beth eventually questioned.

"I was with Carol, had a few beers," Daryl replied quietly.

"Oh," Beth responded practically throwing the silverware in to the drawer. She wasn't quite sure why that annoyed her even more. But ever since she and Daryl had married things had been slightly awkward with Carol. It wasn't that Beth thought the older woman was in love with Daryl or anything, maybe once, but not now. But she would always have a close bond with Beth's husband, one that Beth herself would never fully understand.

"How is she?" Beth added, still avoiding eye contact with him.

"She had a few interesting theories about you?" Daryl said, his gaze still fixed on his wife.

"Oh yeah," Beth replied.

"Reckons, you're going to go on to do great things….and, I,...I, overreacted, because I don't want things to change or something… " he mumbled. This time looking away and down at the floor.

"And what do you think?" Beth said, her tone softening slightly. She knew Daryl and this was about as close to an apology as he was capable of.

He shrugged, taking a step further towards his wife. This time reaching for her more cautiously, placing his hands around her waist drawing her towards him looking in to her eyes.

Slowly his lips meet hers, her arms instinctively flying around his neck. His hands tightening on her waist as he hoisted her up on to their worktop, his lips moving down to press in to the skin on the side of her neck.

Beth could feel her breath quickening as she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist. He reached down to undo the button to her jeans, yanking them down. Lunging back in to another passionate kiss. Daryl put everything in to that kiss, showing his emotions didn't come easily but they flowed in to that kiss. He loved Beth with everything in him. He would never intentionally hurt her, and he would continue to fight for her despite his insecurities, until the day he died.

Within seconds the air between them became more and more electric, their minds wiped clean of anything that had been bothering them before. All that mattered was the moment. All that counted was happening here, in their embrace. Both forever thankful, never forgetting the times when they had been starved of these kinds of intimate moments.

Beth still had her arms around Daryl's neck, his hands holding her body tightly against his strong muscular frame. His hands wrestling their way underneath her shirt exploring the soft smooth skin on her back. She wriggled slightly, letting him know she was ready for him to take her shirt off. Obliging he slid it off with one swift movement. Breaking the kiss, undoing the clasp on her black lacy bra allowing it to fall to the floor, causing her to give him a brief look of longing communicating her need for him. Her hands roaming his upper body, tugging his shirt off in the process, while he started kissing her behind her ear and down her neck causing her to sigh contently. Beth traced the muscles on his chest back up to his neck, as he looked deep in to her eyes, trying to tell her how much he wanted her.

She wriggled down the work top slightly and out of her jeans in the process, and she pushed him backwards trailing kisses down his front, feeling his muscular upper body tense with the sensation of her touch, making him groan in satisfaction. She momentarily played with the waist band of his jeans, teasing him, before slipping her hands inside his underpants, feeling his hardness, causing him to moan even more as his head fell back. Pushing his pants down, she released his huge erection, rubbing it up and down in her hands. Her lips moving down his body some more, the ends of her hair tickling him. "Beth, please," he said torn between not wanting to come like that and his ultimate pleasure. He reached down to gently prize her hands away from him as he held them up and above her neck. Allowing his fingers to trickle down slowly between her legs removing her panties exploring her with his fingers, watching as she let out a small moan, his mouth then moving down to suck hard on her right nipple.

Beth tangled her fingers in his long hair moaning in ecstasy. She was breathing uncontrollably as he withdraw his mouth slightly, desperate to feel him inside her, she pushed him backwards with the palms of her hands, hooking her legs even further around his hips as he guided himself in to her and they started moving quickly. they knew each other's bodies so well now. Beth couldn't think anymore. She couldn't breathe anymore. All she could do was drown in the sensation of his hardness moving inside her. They fit perfectly.

She was driving Daryl mad with her young fit body and how it was making him feel, how it always made him feel, he needed her so much, harder, deeper. He drew her to him again pressing their lips together in another passionate kiss, causing them to both groan deeply. Their climaxes coming quickly, Daryl coming hard inside her, Beth feeling her head fly back as she cried out his name multiple times. Both their heart beats racing together, vibrating all over their bodies in to every cell, as they tried to capture their breath.

Beth moved to rest her head against his shoulder. Her heart rate slowing down. Remembering just how she still felt every single time they made love, as though all was right in the world. Nothing else mattered.

They had been through the ultimate darkness and somehow come out the other side, they had a chance now, she wouldn't allow it to slip away.

* * *

><p><strong>an - Thanks again for reading, would love to hear any more reviews :)**


	6. Chapter 6

_Beth tugged at the end of her fishing rod, trying to manoeuvre it slightly. Flustered, she put her hand up to shade her eyes from the bright early morning sun._

"_Nah, you need to move it in a little." Maggie said a little bossily, from where she was sat beside her, fishing rod in hand too._

_Beth ignored her older sister, pressing her lips together as she half heartedly followed her instructions. The two women had strayed just a stones throw away from their camp to try and catch some fish in a near by stream. It wasn't something either was particularly practiced at and it was kind of a long shot, but worth a try._

_Glenn had managed to put some fishing equipment together for them, he was keeping watch back at the camp, having originally planned to go with Maggie, Beth had persuaded him to let her go in his place. She had been going out of her mind a little back at their latest make shift camp. She knew everyone was worried for her and Maggie's safety now that they were the only two remaining girls left. But Beth wanted to contribute. Plus, there was something she wanted to talk to Maggie about alone too._

_They'd been homeless again for a few weeks. Their plans to go to the nearest town put on hold, whilst they tried to work out who had captured their friends. How they could get them back. They knew they needed to lie low, while they tried to figure out who the mysterious men with guns were, what they could do. Beth and Maggie being particularly vulnerable._

"_Something on you mind?" Maggie questioned, noting her sister's unusually quiet mood._

"_Umm..nah," Beth said hesitantly, looking down at the stream in front of her, avoiding eye contact.._

"_Okay, spit it out," Maggie responded. She knew her sister, and she knew there was something playing on her mind. Beth had always been the more reserved of the two, she could appear quiet and thoughtful when she was worried about something, compared to Maggie's open and more outgoing nature. _

_Beth fidgeted a little nervously, before turning to look straight at her sister this time, still gripping her fishing rod with one hand, brushing a strand of stray hair away from her eye with the other. Before eventually she worked up the courage, "I was just wonderin, what you do, for, y'know…contraception and stuff.." she said, embarrassment flashing across her face, her cheeks turning pink. _

_Maggie nearly dropped her fishing rod straight out of her hands as she immediately stopped what she was doing, her mouth gaping open, her eyes wide and surprised, turning to look at her younger sister, presenting her with her full attention. She had certainly not been expecting her to come out with that. The small seemingly innocent question had more than aroused Maggie's curiosity and also slight suspicion._

"_You're sleeping with someone?" she questioned directly._

"_No," Beth was quick to protest firmly, looking back at her sister._

"_You're planning to sleep with someone?" Maggie was quick to respond back._

_This time Beth didn't answer, allowing her silence to confirm her sister's suspicions. Choosing to look away and back at the stream in front of her. She had known this conversation was never going to be easy._

"_Who?" Maggie questioned further._

_Again Beth remained silent. She wasn't quite sure why she was finding this so difficult, but she was. Waiting for Maggie to say the inevitable._

"_Rick," Maggie said confidently. Thinking their leader was clearly the obvious and only choice for her sister to get involved with in that way. He was older than Beth, but he was single now, good looking, and he was also brave and strong, he led them all, and Maggie could easily see how he could become attractive to Beth._

"_No," Beth exclaimed, shaking her head. Putting her rod down, feeling a rush of butterflies. Bracing herself for Maggie to say 'his' name next._

_Instead Maggie fell quiet for a second, searching through the remaining male members of their group in her head. If it wasn't Rick, then who? _

"_Tyreese" she suddenly said, thinking again how it wouldn't be outside the realms of possibility for her sister to get romantically involved with him. Again he was older than Beth, but he wasn't bad looking either, he was also a decent guy, clearly experienced in how to treat the opposite sex._

"_Nooo," Beth protested, a little louder this time. _

"_Abraham," Maggie then reeled off immediately after. He wouldn't have been the first person that came to mind, and she'd be surprised, but he clearly had a thing for younger women, he was smooth, if not a little sleazy._

"_Nooo-oo," Beth said, raising her voice even more this time, almost whining. How could her sister possibly think she would want to sleep with Abraham?_

"_Then who?" Maggie said, looking even more confused. _

_Going over again who was left in her head, she said slowly," That only leaves, Eugene, Daryl…" looking as though a light bulb had just been switched on in her head, she slowly repeated, "Daryl!," the expression on her sister's face telling Maggie all she needed to know. How could she have over looked that? It was Daryl. Of course it was Daryl. How could it not have been Daryl? He should have been the first person she had thought of. The obvious choice._

_Since they had rescued her from the hospital, Daryl had shown nothing but concern for her sister, different to before back at the prison, but Maggie had just put it down to him feeling responsible for her after he'd been with her when the prison had fallen, and also wanting to look out for her now that their father wasn't around, nothing else, it was Daryl, he wasn't exactly a lady's man so Maggie has just figured they were friends. But since their new smaller group had been lying low in the woods, she couldn't deny, Beth had spent more time with him than anyone else. He had been teaching her skills, they had gone off alone together at times. It all fitted now._

"_You and Daryl?" Maggie said her eyes still fixed on her sister. Her face deadly serious, "You're sleeping with him?"_

"_No, I said it's not like that. I mean we've kissed but nothing else," Beth replied with almost relief. She had no idea how her sister would react to her revelation, but at least it was out in the open. Although, she still felt a little embarrassed when she thought of what Daryl would think if he could hear her now._

_Daryl had no idea that Beth would be having this type of conversation about them. But the truth was, she wanted to sleep with him. She didn't want to wait anymore. Since they had started camping in the woods, they had grown even closer. He'd barely let her out of his sight. Beth knew he was concerned about her being abducted like the other women had been, but it was more than that too._

_Maggie had insisted Beth slept in her tent alongside her and Glenn. Which considering how cramped it was, was more than a little awkward. But there wasn't really an alternative it wouldn't have been appropriate for her to have squeezed in with anyone else. Beth had found herself, on more than one occasion staying up to keep watch with Daryl instead, then somehow she had found herself sleeping in Daryl's small one man battered tent instead of her sisters, sometimes with him, but mostly without, while he stayed up. Being that close to him gave her a strange sense of comfort. It was the same tent that he'd had when they had been alone together before, one of the few he had managed to scavenge from an old camping store on one of his supply runs. When they had slept in it together nothing had happened at first they had just huddled together, chatted a little. They had kissed, but despite Beth desperately wanting him to, he hadn't tried anything else. But it was different to before, she knew something had changed. It felt more real now. _

_Another long silence fell between the two sisters. _

_Beth started to panic a little, the air between them turning tense. Maybe she shouldn't have said anything, she thought, an uneasy feeling hitting her stomach as she silently willed her sister to say something further, anything. _

_Eventually after what seemed like a lifetime, Maggie looked up, "We're careful," she said a faint smile appearing on her lips._

"_Wh-what?" Beth stammered, her eyes narrowing with confusion._

"_Contraception, we just have to be careful. When we get the chance that is, which aint that often. There are actually only a few days in your cycle that you can realistically fall pregnant, so you just have to watch for those days and make sure he.."_

"_Yeah, I get it," Beth interrupted, embarrassed again. Even more glad Daryl had taken himself off hunting that morning, she would be mortified if he could hear their conversation now._

"_I mean, we use condoms if we can get a hold of em, but they're pretty hard to come by these days, guess everyone wanted to have a little fun whilst the world was ending," Maggie said with a small laugh, lightening the atmosphere as Beth broke in to an amused smile too._

"_Daryl's a good guy," Maggie than said more seriously, the laughing trailing off, as she added. "He'll look after you," and she meant it. At one time Daryl would have been the last person she would have paired her sweet and innocent younger sister with, but she knew him better now and the rules from their old world no longer applied. Now that she'd had the chance to wrap her head around it, it made perfect sense to Maggie. _

"_I mean it, Beth. He's one of the good ones. Just make sure he takes a damn bath occasionally," Maggie teased with a twinkle in her eye._

_Beth looked away shaking her head as they both erupted in to fresh laughter._

"_I got us a feast for lunch, squirrel and rabbit," a triumphant male voice suddenly said. Causing the two sisters to look up to see Daryl walking out of the trees behind them, his crossbow slung across his back, holding up an assortment of dead mammals, the proud look on his face, quickly turning to one of suspicion, "What's so funny?" he said accusingly as they continued to laugh, a sound so rare these days._

"_Nothing," Maggie replied pressing her lips together her eyes sparkling still, catching Beth's eye briefly before they both looked away sniggering._

* * *

><p><span>Four years later<span>

Beth shifted a little closer to Daryl on the sofa, her head rested on his shoulder, her arm draped around his chest. On first impressions she would never have had him down for the cuddling on the sofa type, even back when they had first started to become involved with each other he was never going to be the perfect boyfriend, but Beth liked that. Now, over the years he'd softened slightly, he was no longer the gruff redneck loner that he'd appeared to be back when he'd first appeared on her father's farm with Rick and the others at the start of the outbreak. Now he was a husband, her husband.

"So, Noah," she started lazily, about to launch in to a story, but checking she had his full attention first. He didn't even flinch just continued staring mindlessly at the flickering screen in front of them, some old movie Beth didn't have a clue about. Their TV was a little temperamental with nothing like the amount of channels that had been on offer to them at one time in their lives, but still most of the time it managed to hold out enough for them to watch a movie every now and then or a repeat of some episode of a trashy television show.

"Noah had another hold up at his bar yesterday, but they didn't take anything this time, the police actually managed to show up and stop it," she said, pausing, glancing back at her husband, putting her thumbnail up to her mouth to chew on it awaiting his reaction as a sudden wave of nausea hit her, reminding her she hadn't eaten all day, she'd been a little off her food with one thing and another.

He didn't say anything at first, but she could tell from the look in his eye he had heard her. He had one hand on a beer, the other wrapped around her back. Beth took in a breath, if there was one thing that infuriated her about Daryl still, it was his lack of conversation skills, not like the old days when he had been unsure of how to express himself. These days it was more deliberate, almost like if he didn't want to respond, he wouldn't.

"You aint goin there no more," he eventually muttered gruffly, "aint safe."

"It's fine, like I said the cops got there, they stopped any trouble from starting," she protested, tensing a little. She knew it came from a place of well meaning, but she didn't like it when Daryl tried to tell her what to do.

He didn't look up, just scoffed, "Police are all corrupt scum now," putting his beer up to his mouth to drink.

Wriggling out of his arms, Beth got up a little sulkily, noting his eyes were still glued to the television screen. Whatever the damn movie was it was obviously more alluring than having a proper conversation with her she thought, making her way out the room and in to the adjacent bathroom.

"Oh damn it," Beth screamed a little louder than she had anticipated from the bathroom. Looking down she was met with the unwelcome sight of a few small bright red spots appearing on her underwear. She had been due a period for some time now, but she'd kind of lost track of dates. Having regular periods was like a lot of things a complete novelty to her these days. Beth was pretty sure she'd only had about two cycles in the entire time of the outbreak. She had kind of figured her body had given up in that area.

"Everything okay?" Beth then heard Daryl say from the other side of the door.

"I'm fine," she mumbled back, a little embarrassed she'd made such a big deal of it as she rummaged around to try and desperately find some tampons. He might act a little indifferent at times, but Daryl was always still so quick to be protective of her. It was almost as though he half expected a dozen walkers to suddenly crash through their bathroom window again, she thought.

"You sure?" he persisted from the other side of the door.

Beth sighed and cursed, she still couldn't find any tampons, must have slipped her mind to have stocked up on them, she poked her head around the door, "Just came on my period, can't find any tampons."

"Oh," Daryl replied, this time his turn to look a little embarrassed.

"I'll need to pop to the store, pick some up," she said looking flustered.

"You aint goin no-where at this time of night," he said forcefully. They didn't live in a bad neighbourhood but it wasn't the best either. The streets were no place to be at night. There might be a new sense of order in the city now, but there were still some survivors from the dark times unable to quite shake off their new found sense of feral survival instinct. It would be a long time before they could claim to live in a completely civilised society again.

"I'll go, needed to pick up a few more beers anyway," he mumbled.

"You sure? Will you know what to get?"

"Just write it down or somethin," he responded, his tone indicating he was far from comfortable with the situation as she thrust a small slip of paper in to his hand.

"Okay," Beth replied, closing the bathroom door again to discover the bleeding had all but stopped now, shaking her head a little, she wondered what just what the hell was going on with her body, as she shouted out a quick, "Be safe," to Daryl. He was right, the streets were dangerous at night still. Beth knew he more than knew how to look after himself, but that still didn't stop her from experiencing a small flutter of anxiety every time he went out.

….

The store was pretty empty just one old guy working behind the counter. Daryl quickly made his way along the aisles of household cleaning products, diapers, hair care, before finally stopping at the feminine hygiene section, scanning it briefly before clumsily reaching out and dropping his desired purchase in to his basket. Making his way over to the till to pay, eyes down, avoiding eye contact with anyone, feeling the reassuring metal of his hand gun from where it sat inside his trouser pocket.

Reaching it to his other pocket to find a note to exchange for his shopping, nodding in acknowledgment to the grey haired shop owner. He was abruptly swept to one side as suddenly the door to the front entrance swung open and two hooded figures burst in.

"Give us all your alcohol and tobacco, Grandpa," one of them yelled, pointing a gun at the old man stood behind the counter, turning to his companion saying, "Quick empty the shelves."

Daryl didn't move, thinking fast, it was always the same these days, no-one was interested in money, it was always physical goods, looting was no longer acceptable but that didn't stop a high percentage of the population from thinking the rules didn't apply. They were few honest people left now, Daryl knew that. People were changed and out to get whatever they could.

"Oh come on, that's my livelihood you punks," the older man said, his eyes flashing fiercely. Daryl could see a fire in him, he wasn't about to be intimated easily.

"Shut it or I blow your brains out," the first guy said.

"You think that's a threat,?" he said shaking his head, a small smirk creeping on to his lips. "Go ahead. Because you take my stuff over my dead body. I haven't been to hell and back, to lose it all to some weak little jerks like you."

Daryl had never spoken to the older guy before, but he'd seen him occasionally when he'd been in the store. There was something about him he liked, respected even. He was wise, there was more to him than met the eye, he hadn't always been a frail shop owner. In a funny way he reminded Daryl a little of Hershal, Beth's late father, he had been a fighter until the end too.

"Who you calling weak?" the younger guy said, letting off a shot. Narrowly missing the old man, his reactions fast as he ducked, causing the bullet to smash in to a row of bottles behind him instead, glass flying in to the air as they exploded dramatically.

"Drop it," Daryl said loudly, pointing his gun in to the back of the younger gunman. Daryl had promised Beth he wouldn't get involved in situations like this anymore, but right now he felt he had no choice.

"Listen, we don't want no trouble, we just want the stuff," the other young guy said from where he was stood further back in the store, shakily directing his weapon in Daryl's direction to block him from shooting his friend.

Daryl glanced back at him, he was young they both were probably around sixteen or seventeen, eighteen at the most, he was willing to bet they weren't the best shot either, if he was quick he could probably take them both out, if he'd had his crossbow he could have done it within seconds. But he hesitated; as he remembered what he had been like back at their age, without the excuse of a deadly virus nearly wiping out the entire human race.

"I said drop it," he repeated instead addressing the first guy, keeping his gun aimed at the back of his head.

"You heard the man, drop it," an all too familiar male voice said.

Out of the corner of his eye, Daryl looked to his left to see two police officers had arrived, skilfully pointing their weapons in the direction of the two younger men. It was over, as the younger guys reluctantly dropped their guns down on to the floor acknowledging they were clearly outnumbered.

Daryl felt a wave of relief wash over him. Somehow no-one had lost their lives. The store hadn't been robbed. He looked back at the first police officer, the one that had spoken. He looked errily familiar, and then it hit him. He looked significantly older than when Daryl had seen him last, but the eyes gave him away he was the spit of his mother. Daryl would recognise him anywhere.

"Carl," Daryl said unable to hide the emotion in his voice. How was that even possible? Surely he was too young to be in such a position of authority.

"Daryl," Carl replied in shock.

Daryl hung around whilst Carl and his partner dealt with the situation, taking the two young criminals out to their patrol car, before he came back in to the store to speak to Daryl properly.

"It's good to see you, Daryl," Carl said embracing Daryl in a brief warm hug. Carl wasn't big on displays of affection, but it felt so good to see such a welcome familiar face.

"Good to see you too, son. It's been a while. See you've gone and got yourself a sheriffs badge for real." Daryl responded raising his eyebrows, curling his lips up in to a half smile.

"Yeah," Carl said looking down at the badge on his chest proudly, nodding, breaking in to a small smile. A lot had happened to him over the past few years, he'd changed so much, but it sure felt good to run in to an old friend as true as Daryl.

"How-how's Beth?" Carl questioned glancing down for a split second at the big neon pink box of tampons in Daryl's shopping basket on the ground.

"She's good," Daryl replied, pretending he hadn't noticed Carl's wandering gaze. "We got a place near here, you should stop by, I know she'd love to see you."

"I'd like that," Carl said nodding some more.

Looking back at him Daryl was hit with a sudden rush of pride, Carl had just been a boy when he had seen him last, he couldn't be more than late teens now, but he had become a man.

"Well, looks like your quick thinking saved the day here, no casualties and we successfully stalled a robbery." Carl said, his eyes fixed on Daryl. He wasn't surprised. Daryl's speed and bravery had saved them on many occasions back when they had been surviving together during the outbreak.

"Just doin what anyone would," Daryl mumbled. Thinking how he hadn't exactly been any great hero, just doing what was necessary to stop those kids from taking off with all the old mans stuff.

"Y'know, Daryl, this might be a long shot, but we're looking to recruit new guys. We're trying to build up the police presence in the city, weed out the bad cops, and bring in some of the good ones." Carl said.

Daryl shook his head, he knew where this was heading, "I dunno," he replied.

"Well why don't you at least have a chat with my superior. I know he'd love to see you, here's his number, think about it," Carl added, pressing a card in to Daryl's palm.

Grunting in response, Daryl glanced down at the name on the card, _Rick Grimes Chief of Police._

* * *

><p><strong>AN - Thanks for reading. Would love to hear a review if you have the chance :) Will be updating again soon. There will be more drama coming up for Beth and Daryl!**


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